Brush adjustment for scrubbing-machines.



W. S. FINNELL.

BRUSH ADJUSTMENT FOR SCRUBBING MACHINES.

APPLICATION man DEC. 29. 1914.

LHQAW; Patented May11,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 W. S. FINNELL.

BRUSH ADJUSTMENT FUR SCRUBBING MACHINES.

FILED 050.29.1914.

ILASQAQYO W. S. FINNELL.

BRUSH ADJUSTMENT FOR SCRUBBING MACHINES.

APELICATION FILED DEC. 29. 19M.

1 139 %@7@ Patented May 11, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- "'4" 7 11111,, v Z 1 L A ll! I 45 43 311 uc-l l-fc n 4 1 20 3 go w A M 7' UNTTED STATES PATENT @FITTGE.

WALTER S. FINNELL, 0F HANNIBAL, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF '10 FINOLA MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HANNIBAL, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSU'URT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May llll, I915.

Application filed. Becember 29, 1914. Serial No. 879,429.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER S. FINNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brush Adjustments for Scrubbing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved means for efiecting the vertical adjustment of rotary scrubbing brushes, rotary polishing blocks, or like devices that act on horizontal surfaces such as wood, marble or tile floors.

Machines that employ the floor-scrubbing brushes referred to, are mounted on wheels that move over the floors, and as the several scrubbing-brushes that contact with the floor become worn from usage, the necessity arises to lower the brushes relative to the floor level. Where a machine carries a plural number of scrub-brushes, say four to eight, it is important that the vertical adjustment of all the several brushes shall be uniform; and in machines of this kind, prior to the present invention, to eflect this vertical adjustment of a number of brushes has been a work that was both tedious and dificult.

The object therefore of the present invention is to provide machines of the class referred to with means by which the vertical adjustment relative to the floor-level of a plural number of rotary scrub-brushes may be made quickly, and at the same time a uniform and correct adjustment accomplished.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a rotary scrubbing-brush machine.

In the accompanying drawing-I igure 1, is a top plan view of the brush-carrying devices and my improvement. Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the brush-carrying devices embodying the improved adjuster. Fig. 3,

shows a central vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a diametrical section of the female part of the screw adjusting ring. Figs. 5 and 6, are side views respectively on a larger scale of the male and female parts of the screw adjustment. Figs. 7 and 8, are sectional views of the improved screw-adjustment, each view showing the spring-acting retaining bolt in a difi'erent position.

The best machines of the class to which this invention relates are usually provided with handles or push-bars (not shown in the drawing) by means of which the person who is operating the machine may move it manually over the floor. In the best machines, also, the rotary scrubbing-brushes are driven by the power of an electric motor that is carried on the moving machine. In other machines, however, the scrubbingbrushes are rotated by the power of the wheels on which the machine is mounted, suitable gearing being employed to connect between said wheels and the rotary brushes.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1, designates an axle, and 2, wheels that turn on the ends of the axle and support the machine; sometimes four wheels are employed. A circular seat 4, is on the axle and a vertical stem 5, projects from this seat upward and near its top has a shoulder, the top end above the shoulder being of reduced size. This stem supports a bar 50, which has an eye 51, that rests on the said shoulder; the said bar is a part of the machine structure not involved in a consideration of the present invention.

The downward hub 7, fits loosely around the stem and carries at its top a plate 6, and

a horizontal gear wheel 35, with which a driving pinion 3t, gears, said pinion being mounted on a driving shaft 33.

A ring-plate l1, incloses the two wheels 2, which support the machine and has position in a horizontal plane, and this plate loosely sustains the brushes of which four are employed in the present instance. The brushes consist of wood-blocks 21, having bunch fiber 20, or other suitable brush material. The ring-plate has a plural number of inward-projectmg arms 12, each in the form of a step, see Fig. 3, whereby the upper surface of the arm is in a horizontal plane lower than the upper surface of the ring plate. Each arm 12, has a hole that opens in the vertical direction, and in osition to receive the lower end of one of the pins 10, as more fully described hereinafter.

The particular construction of the ringplate 11, and the manner of its suspension, and the construction and loose suspension of the brushes below the said ring-plate, are substantially the same as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,079,298, dated November 18, 1913, of which I am part owner. The differences between the construction shown in that patent and the construction of parts included in my present improvement, are herein described.

The ring-plate 11, and all the brushes below it are caused to revolve in contact with the fioor 3, by the horizontal gear 35.

In my present invention the plate 6, that revolves with the gear 35, carries a pendant cylinder 36, which has an exterior screwthread 37 5 this exteriorly threaded cylinder also has a slot 38, that opens crosswise of the said screw-threads. The exteriorly screw-threaded cylinder 36, has the same height at all times above the floor 3. A ring 39, has an internal screw-thread 42, that takes around the said exterior screw-thread 37, of the cylinder 36, and by turning this ring one way or the other, it will be raised or lowered with respect to the floor. It is by this screw ring that the desired vertical adjustment of the rotary scrub-brushes is obtained.

The screw-ring 39, has four pins 10, which project downward; each of these pins has its upper end rigidly secured in a short arm or lug 43, that isattached to and projects laterally from said screw-ring. The lower part of each pin 10, passes down freely through a hole in one of the inwardprojecting step-arms 12, of the ring plate 11. A spiral compressed spring 40, is around each pin 10, and the upper end of said spring bears against the lower surface of the lug 43, on the screw ring, and the 'lower end of said spring 40, seats on the step-arm 12. pin 44, is through the lower end of the pin 10, below the step-arm, and prevents a separation of the pin from the ring plate 11.

The screw adjusting ring 39, is provlded with a retaining bolt 45, that engages in the crosswise slot 38, 6f the exteriorly screwthreaded cylinder 36, and retains the adjusting ring in the position at which it may be set. This retaining bolt is shown in Figs.

' 1, 6, 7 and 8. The outer side of the screwring has a cylindric tubular case 46; the outer end of the case has a vertical slot 47, and at its center the slot is reamed out to form a round. hole in which the stem of the bolt 45, may slide endwise.

The extremity of the bolt 45, in one position engages wlth the slot 38, and thus retains the adjusting ring from turning; the tension of a spiral spring 52in the case 46,

head 48, which may be grasped when it is necessary to move the bolt. The bolt also has a cross-pin 49, that moves in the slot 47,

at the outside end of the case 46. When the bolt is locked this cross-pin 49,-occupies the slot 47, as in Fig. 7; when the bolt is withdrawn from the slot 38, in the cylinder, the said cross-pin 49, will be outside of the slot 47, in the case 46, as in Fig. 8.

With the screw-ring as means for adjusting the height of the scrub-brushes relative to the floor level, any number of brushes may be raised or lowered alike all at once, and the tedious and difiicult work caused by separately adjusting each brush as heretofore, is avoided.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is,--

1. In a rotary scrubbing-machine, the combination of wheels to travel on the floor and support the machine; a plural number of scrub-brushes carried by the machine and arranged to bear on the floor; a cylinder exteriorly screw-threaded and carried by said wheels and always having the same height above the floor; an internally screwthreaded ring engaging the screw-thread of said cylinder and which when turned is moved either up or down, and vertical pins attached by their upper end to the said ring and each pin having its lower end attached to a scrub-brush, whereby on turning the said screw-ring all the scrub-brushes may be vertically adjusted.

2. In a rotary scrubbing-machine, the

combination of a ring-plate in a horizontal plane; scrub-brushes loosely sustained below said ring-plate; a cylinder exteriorly screw-threaded and mounted concentric with respect to said ring-plate; an internally screw-threaded ring engaging the threads of said cylinder, and means connecting between the said threaded ring and the scrub-brushes below whereby all the brushes may be vertically adjusted with uni-- formity. Y

3. In a rotary scrubbing-machine, the combination of a ring-plate in a horizontal plane; scrub-brushes loosely sustained below said ring-plate; a cylinder exteriorly screw-threaded and provided with a slot that is open crosswise of said threads; an internally screw-threaded ring engaging the threads of said cylinder and provided with a bolt that engages the said crosswise slot to retain the ring from turning, and means connecting between the said threaded ring and the scrub-brushes below.

4. In a rotary scrubbing-machine, the combination of a. cylinder having a vertical nieenew i (53 position and fiamvidefil with en extenien will vertically adjust the scrub-brushes relem screw-thread extending to its lower eml'; n tive tethe fleet-level. ring internally screw-threadle& and engag- In testimony whereof I my signal,- ing the saidt screw-threads of the cylinder; ture in presence of two wimesses.

5 plum number of scrub-brushes below seimfl ring and positionedi to hear on the floor, and v FINNELL' means connecting between said eerew- Witnesses: threaded ring endl each of said scIruh- R, V. Hone,

brushes, whereby the turning of the King 3F, Mum 

